Thursday, 31 August 2006

A few months ago the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa made a donation to the Ottawa Public Library for the purchase of books related to the interests of the Society membership. Some were familiar, others new to me. From time to time I'll blog about some of the acquisitions, which were selected by Diana Hall, the OPL's librarian who specializes in family history.

Family History Monthly reviewed How Our Ancestors Lived: A History of Life A Hundred Years Ago as "a brilliant account of what Britain was like during the 1800s and 1900s ." The synopsis is that "David Hey draws on material from the 1901 census to paint a picture of what life was really like for our ancestors a hundred years ago. He describes work, play, love and death with expert text and a unique collection of historic photographs and graphic art. Illustrated case studies tell the stories of individual lives and allow the reader to build a picture of their own family's past."

David Hey, Emeritus Professor of Local History at Sheffield University, has a name I recognize, but not one I can place. He is the author of The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History, Family Names and Family History, and Journeys in Family History: Exploring Your Past, Finding Your Ancestors.